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Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Hayley
Six
Melanie-Anne
January 5
The Centre
SL25
Hayley woke to find a pair of brown eyes staring curiously at her. She sat up, stifling a yawn as she looked around the room. She remembered what had brought her here and smiled at the boy.
"Hi."
"Hi." He grinned, revealing a set of dimples. "Whatcha doing in my bed?"
"I, uh, heard you crying last night so—"
"You sang me a song. Hey, wanna play?" He hopped off the bed and emptied a box of building blocks onto the floor.
Hayley looked at the air vent, then shrugged and sat next to Jason. "Sure. I'm Hayley."
He grinned. "Jason."
Hayley picked up one of the blocks and carefully studied it. She held it in her open palm and smiled. "Watch this."
She couldn't help giggling at Jason's open-mouthed wonder as the block floated up in the air.
"Hey, can you make me do that?"
Hayley shrugged. "I can try."
She frowned slightly and bent her head forward. From the corner of her eye, she saw Jason start to rise. He laughed, breaking her concentration and he landed on the floor with a thump. Hayley dropped her head and closed her eyes. Lifting Jason even a few inches had exhausted her. Her head hurt.
Jason placed his hands on either side of her skull and gently kissed the crown of her head. She shivered, feeling goosebumps all over her body. She pulled back and looked at Jason, her eyes wide.
"What did-?" she began.
"Did it work? Is your headache gone?"
She nodded slowly. "How did you do that?"
Jason turned his attention to the building blocks. "I dunno. I just can."
"Do they know?" She dropped her voice to a whisper.
He shook his head vehemently. "Uh-uh. The voices told me not to tell. I'm good at keeping secrets."
"You hear voices too?" Hayley had always thought it was just her.
"Uh-huh. So's Parker. An' Lyle."
At the mention of Lyle's name, Hayley raised her hand to her cheekbone. It didn't ache anymore either. She got to her feet slowly, not sure what to make of this little boy. What had he done to her?
"Hey, Hayley. How come you talk so funny?"
"I don't talk funny."
"Sure you do. You don't talk like anybody else here. Not even Sydney, an' he talks funny too."
Hayley shrugged. "I'd better get back to my room. Before they come looking for me."
"Okay." He waved, and as Hayley pulled the grid back in place over the vent, he called, "Hey! Will you come visit again? 'Cause it's boring by myself."
"Sure." Hayley smiled, then started on her way. She was glad she'd met Jason. Now she had three friends in this horrible place.
*
The Centre Concourse
"How was your Christmas, Parker?"
Standing in front of the elevator doors, Parker smiled when she heard the voice. She turned around. "Good. It was good. I had Jason with me. How was yours?"
"Restful."
Parker glanced around. No one was paying much attention to them. She hooked her arm through Sydney's. "Let's take a walk."
He didn't argue, and they walked in silence through the doors and down the stairs leading to the beach.. Parker felt an odd burst of affection for her friend. She leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked along the waterfront. To a casual onlooker, she imagined they would look like any father and daughter. If only, she thought.
"Something wrong, Parker?" Sydney sounded amused.
She pulled a white envelope from her pocket and handed it to Sydney. He opened it and pulled out a card. When he saw who it was from, he stopped and looked at Parker. She stepped away and slowly raised her eyes to meet his.
"When did Jarod leave this?"
Parker looked out at the ocean, a smile playing on her lips. Then she took Sydney's arm again and carried on walking. "There's something I've been wanting to tell you."
She glanced up at him, suddenly shy. She didn't know why. Sydney didn't say anything, and she was glad he wasn't pressing her. She sighed. How should she begin?
"The beginning's always a good place to start."
She realized she'd spoken aloud and chuckled softly. "You know, Syd, if you hadn't been on my team I would have probably shot Jarod long ago."
"Parker!"
"Breaking into my house, phoning at odd hours, leaving all those cryptic clues . . . You have to admit, he can be annoying."
Sydney smiled. "He's . . . persistent."
"Yeah." Parker drew in a deep breath. It was now or never.
"So how is Jarod?" Sydney asked.
She froze and slowly turned to look at her companion. At her silence, he went on.
"After you came back from Carthis, you were different. I didn't know what had changed until I watched you with Broots one day. You were being nice to him without even noticing it. I see it most when you're with Jason, though."
"See what?"
"You smile more. But I knew for certain when we were in Baltimore a couple of months ago. Do you remember? You chased Jarod into an alley but he got away."
She nodded.
"I wasn't far behind you. I saw the two of you and stepped back out into the street to watch for sweepers." He smiled, his eyes twinkling. "You weren't chasing him, Miss Parker."
Parker remembered; Jarod had ambushed her in the alley. She'd been furious for all of five seconds, knowing they were in danger of being seen, but she'd missed him. So she'd let him kiss her. "Why didn't you say anything?"
Sydney shrugged. "You would have denied it."
"Probably."
"I'm glad you're happy, Parker."
She smiled. "It's getting chilly. Let's go back up and get some coffee."
*
SL 25
Hayley backed out of the vent into her room and replaced the cover before turning around. Lyle sat in a chair in the corner. He looked like he'd been waiting for a while. Hayley's eyes darted around the room before finally settling on him. She raised her chin defiantly.
"Are you going to hit me again?"
He shook his head and she sat on the edge of the bed, acting nonchalant.
"So what do you want then?"
Lyle stood and approached her. She scrambled back until she reached the wall, and wished she hadn't. Now he'd know she was scared of him. He sat next to her and cautiously put his hand on her arm.
"I don't blame you for being frightened." He bent his head to hers and whispered, "I'm sorry. But I'm going to make it up to you."
She stared at a spot on the wall opposite her. "How?"
"I'm going to get you out of here."
Wide-eyed, she turned to look at him. "But Mr. Raines—"
"I don't care." His laugh sounded strained. "You do want to leave, don't you?"
She nodded.
"I'll come for you tonight. Don't say a word to anyone." He stood. When he was at the door, Hayley jumped off the bed and hugged him.
"Thank you, Mr. Lyle." He was going to take her away; all else was forgiven. When the door closed behind him, she looked at the air vent and thought of the little boy playing with his blocks in another room.
*
Miss Parker's Office
Parker clicked the mouse and dragged a card from one spot to another. She took a sip of coffee and wondered what would happen if Raines found out what she really did on company time. A window popped up, announcing new mail.
It was from Jarod, letting her know he was ready to get Hayley out. Parker smiled; it was about damn time. She read the message once more then deleted it. Jarod would meet her at home at nine, and then they would come to the Centre. Parker glanced at her watch—she had seven hours.
Seven hours, and then she would finally be free.
Six
Melanie-Anne
January 5
The Centre
SL25
Hayley woke to find a pair of brown eyes staring curiously at her. She sat up, stifling a yawn as she looked around the room. She remembered what had brought her here and smiled at the boy.
"Hi."
"Hi." He grinned, revealing a set of dimples. "Whatcha doing in my bed?"
"I, uh, heard you crying last night so—"
"You sang me a song. Hey, wanna play?" He hopped off the bed and emptied a box of building blocks onto the floor.
Hayley looked at the air vent, then shrugged and sat next to Jason. "Sure. I'm Hayley."
He grinned. "Jason."
Hayley picked up one of the blocks and carefully studied it. She held it in her open palm and smiled. "Watch this."
She couldn't help giggling at Jason's open-mouthed wonder as the block floated up in the air.
"Hey, can you make me do that?"
Hayley shrugged. "I can try."
She frowned slightly and bent her head forward. From the corner of her eye, she saw Jason start to rise. He laughed, breaking her concentration and he landed on the floor with a thump. Hayley dropped her head and closed her eyes. Lifting Jason even a few inches had exhausted her. Her head hurt.
Jason placed his hands on either side of her skull and gently kissed the crown of her head. She shivered, feeling goosebumps all over her body. She pulled back and looked at Jason, her eyes wide.
"What did-?" she began.
"Did it work? Is your headache gone?"
She nodded slowly. "How did you do that?"
Jason turned his attention to the building blocks. "I dunno. I just can."
"Do they know?" She dropped her voice to a whisper.
He shook his head vehemently. "Uh-uh. The voices told me not to tell. I'm good at keeping secrets."
"You hear voices too?" Hayley had always thought it was just her.
"Uh-huh. So's Parker. An' Lyle."
At the mention of Lyle's name, Hayley raised her hand to her cheekbone. It didn't ache anymore either. She got to her feet slowly, not sure what to make of this little boy. What had he done to her?
"Hey, Hayley. How come you talk so funny?"
"I don't talk funny."
"Sure you do. You don't talk like anybody else here. Not even Sydney, an' he talks funny too."
Hayley shrugged. "I'd better get back to my room. Before they come looking for me."
"Okay." He waved, and as Hayley pulled the grid back in place over the vent, he called, "Hey! Will you come visit again? 'Cause it's boring by myself."
"Sure." Hayley smiled, then started on her way. She was glad she'd met Jason. Now she had three friends in this horrible place.
*
The Centre Concourse
"How was your Christmas, Parker?"
Standing in front of the elevator doors, Parker smiled when she heard the voice. She turned around. "Good. It was good. I had Jason with me. How was yours?"
"Restful."
Parker glanced around. No one was paying much attention to them. She hooked her arm through Sydney's. "Let's take a walk."
He didn't argue, and they walked in silence through the doors and down the stairs leading to the beach.. Parker felt an odd burst of affection for her friend. She leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked along the waterfront. To a casual onlooker, she imagined they would look like any father and daughter. If only, she thought.
"Something wrong, Parker?" Sydney sounded amused.
She pulled a white envelope from her pocket and handed it to Sydney. He opened it and pulled out a card. When he saw who it was from, he stopped and looked at Parker. She stepped away and slowly raised her eyes to meet his.
"When did Jarod leave this?"
Parker looked out at the ocean, a smile playing on her lips. Then she took Sydney's arm again and carried on walking. "There's something I've been wanting to tell you."
She glanced up at him, suddenly shy. She didn't know why. Sydney didn't say anything, and she was glad he wasn't pressing her. She sighed. How should she begin?
"The beginning's always a good place to start."
She realized she'd spoken aloud and chuckled softly. "You know, Syd, if you hadn't been on my team I would have probably shot Jarod long ago."
"Parker!"
"Breaking into my house, phoning at odd hours, leaving all those cryptic clues . . . You have to admit, he can be annoying."
Sydney smiled. "He's . . . persistent."
"Yeah." Parker drew in a deep breath. It was now or never.
"So how is Jarod?" Sydney asked.
She froze and slowly turned to look at her companion. At her silence, he went on.
"After you came back from Carthis, you were different. I didn't know what had changed until I watched you with Broots one day. You were being nice to him without even noticing it. I see it most when you're with Jason, though."
"See what?"
"You smile more. But I knew for certain when we were in Baltimore a couple of months ago. Do you remember? You chased Jarod into an alley but he got away."
She nodded.
"I wasn't far behind you. I saw the two of you and stepped back out into the street to watch for sweepers." He smiled, his eyes twinkling. "You weren't chasing him, Miss Parker."
Parker remembered; Jarod had ambushed her in the alley. She'd been furious for all of five seconds, knowing they were in danger of being seen, but she'd missed him. So she'd let him kiss her. "Why didn't you say anything?"
Sydney shrugged. "You would have denied it."
"Probably."
"I'm glad you're happy, Parker."
She smiled. "It's getting chilly. Let's go back up and get some coffee."
*
SL 25
Hayley backed out of the vent into her room and replaced the cover before turning around. Lyle sat in a chair in the corner. He looked like he'd been waiting for a while. Hayley's eyes darted around the room before finally settling on him. She raised her chin defiantly.
"Are you going to hit me again?"
He shook his head and she sat on the edge of the bed, acting nonchalant.
"So what do you want then?"
Lyle stood and approached her. She scrambled back until she reached the wall, and wished she hadn't. Now he'd know she was scared of him. He sat next to her and cautiously put his hand on her arm.
"I don't blame you for being frightened." He bent his head to hers and whispered, "I'm sorry. But I'm going to make it up to you."
She stared at a spot on the wall opposite her. "How?"
"I'm going to get you out of here."
Wide-eyed, she turned to look at him. "But Mr. Raines—"
"I don't care." His laugh sounded strained. "You do want to leave, don't you?"
She nodded.
"I'll come for you tonight. Don't say a word to anyone." He stood. When he was at the door, Hayley jumped off the bed and hugged him.
"Thank you, Mr. Lyle." He was going to take her away; all else was forgiven. When the door closed behind him, she looked at the air vent and thought of the little boy playing with his blocks in another room.
*
Miss Parker's Office
Parker clicked the mouse and dragged a card from one spot to another. She took a sip of coffee and wondered what would happen if Raines found out what she really did on company time. A window popped up, announcing new mail.
It was from Jarod, letting her know he was ready to get Hayley out. Parker smiled; it was about damn time. She read the message once more then deleted it. Jarod would meet her at home at nine, and then they would come to the Centre. Parker glanced at her watch—she had seven hours.
Seven hours, and then she would finally be free.
